Gussie The Biggest, Best Snowman by Will Hillenbrand Wolf's Coming by Joe Kulka The Little Matrioshka Doll by Corinne Demas Bliss Splat The Cat by Rob Scotton Aunt Lucy Went to Buy a Hat by Alice Low Do you have a Hat by Eilleen Spinelli Silly Sally by Audrey Wood Kiss The Cow by Will Hillenbrand Leonardo the Terrible Monster Marcie Blanchard the dot, by Peter Reynolds I use this book as a first day of art activity with first and second graders, read the book, then have kids use sharpie to make a dot on their paper and a line of any kind. Then I should them how I can create any imaginary picture I want out of the dot and line. They will use pencil and then sharpie to finish their pictures and crayons to add some color. Fish in the Air, by Kurt Wiese I use this book with a fish kite lesson. I have large fish tracers that K trace and then cut out, we then add sharpie eyes, fin lines, and use the line family to create a scale design (curvy, zigzag straight, curvy, zigzag, straight, etc), then they watercolor the fish and finally I staple the fish- I can get pictures later if needed. This is a fun book/project to do early in the year to see the strength and weaknesses of the new K students. Elmer, by David McKee This book I use to show First graders how to cut circles, squares, rectangles, triangles all from a square piece of paper... "the magic square". So we cut all the shapes to create an Elmer of our own and then I let them use oil pastels to design an Elmer style elephant or one of the other elephants they saw in the parade from the book. Najla, The Spider Weaver a legend of Kente Cloth by Margaret Musgrove Read it to my third graders for a weaving unit Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold Used it for 4th graders doing a unit on narrative art Papa Please get the moon for me by Eric Carle read it to 2nd graders who then made a collage of a scene of how they would get the moon if they were papa. The Mud Pony Read it to 1st grade class working on clay anamorphic art pieces Circus by Lois Ehlert kg & 1st graders unit on Matisse chose her book because of similarity in style (simplified forms, colorful etc) Slater Mapp Weslandia Story of little boy who forms his own culture. Great problem solving and creativity book. Also good for exploring bullying, social norms, individuality, traditional cultures, and staple food crops. 2, 3, 4 or 5th. The Lost Thing and The Arrival by Shaun Tan Good for surrealism, or fantasy. The Arrival is a silent comic, so can be used for older kids 5th. The Lost Thing is a picture book for 2nd or 3rd and can be used to discuss problem solving, responsibility, inventing, or monsters. Emily Dickinson by Frances Schoonmaker Bolin Poetry for 4th or 5th. Tibet by Peter Sis 5th Grade picture book about a boy and his father, and a magical trip to Tibet. Good for Tibetan culture, Mandalas, radial design, or heritage. The Lorax by Dr. Seuss 2,3,4 or 5. Classic about commerce, the environment and responsibility. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak K,1, Classic about fantasy, and family. Good for making puppets or monsters. How to live Forever by Colin Thompson 4th or 5th. A picture book about, books, wisdom, and living a good life. Martin Pebble by Jean-Jaque Sempe. French Classic about friendship. Also good for teaching about, storytelling, comics, emphasis, and line drawing. Good for 4 or 5 Ms. McCaw Learns to Draw by Zaethe Zemach Great new title about the power of art, and what a great teacher does. 2, 3,4, Good for teaching portraiture, charcecature, profiles or line drawing. The Stinky Cheeseman by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith. New classic about Fractured Fairy Tales. 3, 4 or 5th. Use it for design, fonts, collage, humor, or books. The Monster at the End of This Book by Jon Stone. Classic about fear and monsters. Great for K or 1. The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick New classic novel/picture book about friendship, creativity, family, cinema and art. Great for just reading or teaching about storytelling in the arts. Dream Machines by Mark Rogalski K,1,2,3 Picture book about Inventions. When Clay Sings by Byrd Baylor 2,3 Good for pottery or Native American Culture. Marveltown by Bruce McCall. 2,3,4, Wonderful picture book that you may use for Design, Inventing, Kids Saving the World. Linnea in Monet’s Garden by Christina Bjork Classic about a little girl who goes on a field trip to Giverny. Good for reading, art history, gardening, impressionism, and France. 4 or 5. Life Doesn’t Frighten Me by Maya Angelou and Jean-Michael Basquiat. Wonderful picture book for k, 1 or 2. Use for fears, painting, or contemporary art. A Blue Butterfly by Bijou Le Tord. A picture book about Monet. Better suited for k,1,2, or 3. Use for painting, art history, famous artists, nature or color. The Ledgerbook of Thomas Blue Eagle by Thomas Blue Eagle. A work of art in and of itself. A copy of a real sketch book created in the 19th century by a Native American. Use for sketchbooks, culture, history, social justice, Native Americans. 4 or 5. Art Books by Slater Mapp Tibetan Mandalas by Tatjana Blau 3, 4 or 5. The Anti-Coloring Books 2,3,4,5 D is for Doodle by Deborah Zemke. K,1,2,3 Color by Ella Doran Any drawing book by Mark Kistler. Great for 3D drawing in 3,4, or 5. Any art history picture books by Bob Raczka. K,1,2,3 My Map Book by Sara Fanelli. Great picture book on map making, graphic design, creative thinking. K,1,2. Ox, House, Stick The History of Our Alphabet by Don Robb. 2,3,4,5 Unique book teaching about many versions of our alphabet, and the roots of letters. Very Cool. Make It by Jane Bull. 2,3,4,5 Book on making recycled art. Kid Made Modern by Todd Oldham. Wonderful “make it” project based book on design. 2,3,4,5. Great Craft Book. Animation by Mary Murphy. 5th grade or art club.
The Biggest, Best Snowman by Will Hillenbrand
Wolf's Coming by Joe Kulka
The Little Matrioshka Doll by Corinne Demas Bliss
Splat The Cat by Rob Scotton
Aunt Lucy Went to Buy a Hat by Alice Low
Do you have a Hat by Eilleen Spinelli
Silly Sally by Audrey Wood
Kiss The Cow by Will Hillenbrand
Leonardo the Terrible Monster
Marcie Blanchard
the dot, by Peter Reynolds
I use this book as a first day of art activity with first and second graders, read the book, then have kids use sharpie to make a dot on their paper and a line of any kind. Then I should them how I can create any imaginary picture I want out of the dot and line. They will use pencil and then sharpie to finish their pictures and crayons to add some color.
Fish in the Air, by Kurt Wiese
I use this book with a fish kite lesson. I have large fish tracers that K trace and then cut out, we then add sharpie eyes, fin lines, and use the line family to create a scale design (curvy, zigzag straight, curvy, zigzag, straight, etc), then they watercolor the fish and finally I staple the fish- I can get pictures later if needed. This is a fun book/project to do early in the year to see the strength and weaknesses of the new K students.
Elmer, by David McKee
This book I use to show First graders how to cut circles, squares, rectangles, triangles all from a square piece of paper... "the magic square". So we cut all the shapes to create an Elmer of our own and then I let them use oil pastels to design an Elmer style elephant or one of the other elephants they saw in the parade from the book.
Najla,
The Spider Weaver a legend of Kente Cloth by Margaret Musgrove
Read it to my third graders for a weaving unit
Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold
Used it for 4th graders doing a unit on narrative art
Papa Please get the moon for me by Eric Carle
read it to 2nd graders who then made a collage of a scene of how
they would get the moon if they were papa.
The Mud Pony
Read it to 1st grade class working on clay anamorphic art pieces
Circus by Lois Ehlert
kg & 1st graders unit on Matisse chose her book because of similarity in style (simplified forms, colorful etc)
Slater Mapp
Weslandia
Story of little boy who forms his own culture. Great problem solving and creativity book. Also good for exploring bullying, social norms, individuality, traditional cultures, and staple food crops. 2, 3, 4 or 5th.
The Lost Thing and The Arrival by Shaun Tan
Good for surrealism, or fantasy. The Arrival is a silent comic, so can be used for older kids 5th. The Lost Thing is a picture book for 2nd or 3rd and can be used to discuss problem solving, responsibility, inventing, or monsters.
Emily Dickinson by Frances Schoonmaker Bolin
Poetry for 4th or 5th.
Tibet by Peter Sis
5th Grade picture book about a boy and his father, and a magical trip to Tibet. Good for Tibetan culture, Mandalas, radial design, or heritage.
The Lorax by Dr. Seuss
2,3,4 or 5. Classic about commerce, the environment and responsibility.
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
K,1, Classic about fantasy, and family. Good for making puppets or monsters.
How to live Forever by Colin Thompson
4th or 5th. A picture book about, books, wisdom, and living a good life.
Martin Pebble by Jean-Jaque Sempe.
French Classic about friendship. Also good for teaching about, storytelling, comics, emphasis, and line drawing. Good for 4 or 5
Ms. McCaw Learns to Draw by Zaethe Zemach
Great new title about the power of art, and what a great teacher does. 2, 3,4, Good for teaching portraiture, charcecature, profiles or line drawing.
The Stinky Cheeseman by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith.
New classic about Fractured Fairy Tales. 3, 4 or 5th. Use it for design, fonts, collage, humor, or books.
The Monster at the End of This Book by Jon Stone.
Classic about fear and monsters. Great for K or 1.
The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
New classic novel/picture book about friendship, creativity, family, cinema and art. Great for just reading or teaching about storytelling in the arts.
Dream Machines by Mark Rogalski
K,1,2,3 Picture book about Inventions.
When Clay Sings by Byrd Baylor
2,3 Good for pottery or Native American Culture.
Marveltown by Bruce McCall.
2,3,4, Wonderful picture book that you may use for Design, Inventing, Kids Saving the World.
Linnea in Monet’s Garden by Christina Bjork
Classic about a little girl who goes on a field trip to Giverny. Good for reading, art history, gardening, impressionism, and France. 4 or 5.
Life Doesn’t Frighten Me by Maya Angelou and Jean-Michael Basquiat.
Wonderful picture book for k, 1 or 2. Use for fears, painting, or contemporary art.
A Blue Butterfly by Bijou Le Tord.
A picture book about Monet. Better suited for k,1,2, or 3. Use for painting, art history, famous artists, nature or color.
The Ledgerbook of Thomas Blue Eagle by Thomas Blue Eagle.
A work of art in and of itself. A copy of a real sketch book created in the 19th century by a Native American. Use for sketchbooks, culture, history, social justice, Native Americans. 4 or 5.
Art Books by Slater Mapp
Tibetan Mandalas by Tatjana Blau 3, 4 or 5.
The Anti-Coloring Books 2,3,4,5
D is for Doodle by Deborah Zemke. K,1,2,3
Color by Ella Doran
Any drawing book by Mark Kistler. Great for 3D drawing in 3,4, or 5.
Any art history picture books by Bob Raczka. K,1,2,3
My Map Book by Sara Fanelli. Great picture book on map making, graphic design, creative thinking. K,1,2.
Ox, House, Stick The History of Our Alphabet by Don Robb. 2,3,4,5 Unique book teaching about many versions of our alphabet, and the roots of letters. Very Cool.
Make It by Jane Bull. 2,3,4,5 Book on making recycled art.
Kid Made Modern by Todd Oldham. Wonderful “make it” project based book on design. 2,3,4,5. Great Craft Book.
Animation by Mary Murphy. 5th grade or art club.